There is nothing quite as annoying as laying out the ingredients for a recipe, only to discover an important component is not in the frig, spice rack, or pantry. If only I had thought to check what I had on hand before I began to assemble the meal. Ah, if I had only been prepared.
Or, how about the time I packed too quickly for a trip and forgot a key item, the special electrical adapter plug one needs when traveling abroad. I can laugh at the situation now. Not when it happened. You would have thought I had lost my entire suitcase given my frustration and tears. Ah, if I had only been prepared.
On the other hand, being in control has little to do with being prepared. Why?
Let’s say you and I decide to prepare and plan a picnic lunch at the nearby park tomorrow afternoon. Today is full of sunshine. Surely, the next day will be as glorious. Or not. Awakened by rumbles of thunder and gully-washer downpours of a good spring soaker, it doesn’t take long to realize we can’t control the weather.
While these may be more obvious examples, there are a multitude of ways we may confuse the wisdom of being prepared with the expectation we can control each and every aspect of an event or circumstance. Just ask William Shakespeare who wisely observed “expectation is the root of all heartache.”
I have lived long enough to have had a number of God-incidents to teach me that being in control is an illusion. The only thing I do have control over is how I respond to a circumstance or situation at any given moment. Respond, not react. Take responsibility, not blame-shift.
A few more examples . . .
Being prepared is booking the vacation accommodations or flight well before you are to stretch out on the beach in the sun. Trying to control the airline schedule is wholly impossible.
Being prepared is being aware of the time one might need to purchase a special gift. Given the present challenges of supply chain issues and inflation, that may require thought and attention. Trying to control possible selections, a delivery date, or even the price is wholly impossible.
Being prepared is pulling the change of season clothes from the closet to see what fits, what needs any repairs, or what to drop in the repurpose box. Trying to control when and how the season change will occur is wholly impossible.
Being prepared is putting an appointment on the calendar. Trying to control the doctor’s unplanned emergency or the friend’s onset of a nasty cold is wholly impossible.
I find it interesting that there are nearly three times as many mentions of “prepare” as “control” in Scripture. Given that awareness, these offer an abundance of insight:
A voice proclaims:In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! [Isaiah 40:3]
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? [John 14:2]
It is important to note that self-control is a virtue, and very different from our attempts to control others or the experiences of daily life.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [Galatians 5:22:23]
Now if you will excuse me, I need to gather the ingredients for today’s dinner. And yes, I have everything on hand. Well, that is unless the high winds from an impending storm decide to bring down the area power lines and the stove is out of commission.
Do I tend to prepare or control? Why?
Can I let go and trust God with all those details only He controls?
What do I need to learn about the virtue of self-control?
P.S. I typically prepare and upload the new post to my website on Sunday afternoons. Not so this week. Turns out a nasty thunderstorm roared through on Saturday, dropped nearly four inches of rain and quarter-sized hail on us in less than an hour, washed out portions of our street, AND took out our Internet and cable for over two days. Thankfully, everyone in our neighborhood is fine, albeit dealing with the cleanup process. Makes me wonder about the Divine sense of humor—and those posts I have already prepared for the upcoming weeks.
